


Shreds of Paper

by fandomshere_fandomsthere



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Blood, But it's there, I cried while writing this, If You Squint - Freeform, Kidnapping, M/M, probably one of the bloodiest things i've written, the paperhat in this is more implied than anything, there's a lot a lot of blood in the second chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 02:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11545662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomshere_fandomsthere/pseuds/fandomshere_fandomsthere
Summary: What goes around comes around, even in the case of villains.





	1. Every Action

**Author's Note:**

> *rubs hands together* hehehe

            In hindsight, maybe robbing the bank without a plan was a bad idea.

            Okay, it was a _terrible_ idea. But plans weren’t Black Hat’s thing—they were Flug’s. Black Hat hadn’t really thought much of it; an accident in the lab had caused several vital pieces of equipment to set on fire _and_ explode (Black Hat did the same thing once he saw the mess). Sales had been down, as was the nature of business at times, and in order to get them back up, Flug needed at least _one_ of those pieces of equipment to keep making devices. He didn’t have the money to replace even the cheapest thing, so the most logical thing to do in Black Hat’s mind was to rob the bank in the dead of night.

            It worked, of course—the residents of the manor were swimming in cash the following morning, and wading in it once everything had been replaced. Black Hat had managed to disable the security cameras and kill the on-duty guards before he got to the vault, so the blaring sirens heading towards the bank as he slipped away hadn’t bothered him. He apparently hadn’t noticed the hero tailing him, either.

            So when a massive hole was blown in the side of the house, shaking the very foundation, Black Hat was more than a little surprised.

            He was even _more_ surprised when he got to the lab. He’d expected the hero, of course, but he hadn’t imagined seeing Dr. Flug fending him off at a distance with a ray gun.

            “It’s no use, villain!” the hero said in the typical oh-how-righteous-am-I voice. “I know that your colleague broke into the bank and stole everything! No doubt you spent it on these—these _terrible_ machines! Disgusting, I tell you!”

            “These _terrible machines_ are probably part of the reason you exist in the first place!” Flug spat. “You heroes are usually just government experiments after all!”

            The hero blocked another blast from Flug’s gun with one of his metal bracers. “What do you know of science, fiend?! Clearly these abominations in your ‘laboratory’ are nothing but the crazed ramblings of a madman brought to life!”

            “Oh, he’s going to kill you,” Black Hat said, an amused smirk on his face, arms crossed.

            The hero’s head snapped in Black Hat’s direction. “You! You evildoer!” He began marching towards Black Hat slowly, taking all of his attention off of Flug.

            “Big mistake,” Black Hat warned, wagging his finger at the hero. “I’d watch your back if I were you.”

            “You cannot fool me!” the hero bellowed, his chest puffed out and smile triumphant. “You’re just trying to get me to let my guard down! Well, _Black Hat,_ your crimes will not go unpuni—”

            The hero’s monologue was cut off as Flug fired an even bigger ray gun than before from behind, blasting a hole right through his torso. Black Hat gave the hero a wave of his fingers, his grin growing as all the color drained from the fallen vigilante’s face and he collapsed facedown on the metal floor, blood already beginning to pour out of his wound. Flug walked up to him, panting, glaring at the corpse on his lab floor, and gave it a kick.

            “That’ll show you, you self-righteous prick,” Flug grumbled. “’Ramblings of a madman’ my ass.”

            “Well done, doctor,” Black Hat said, backing away from the growing pool of blood so that it didn’t stain his shoes.

            “Should I stick his head on a pike outside the gate, sir?” Flug asked, still glaring.

            Black Hat chuckled and patted the scientist’s shoulder. “I admire your gruesomeness, but I believe that would be a tad gratuitous. Why don’t I deposit him outside the city hall?”

            “Yes sir,” Flug agreed. “See you in a bit then.” Flug left the lab the way Black Hat had come. “5.0.5! Demencia! I’m gonna need some help in the lab!”

            Black Hat smirked to himself and grabbed the body by the ankle, dragging it out the hole it had previously created.

* * *

 

            Patching up the wall didn’t take long. It helped that all the pieces were there, completely intact, because that meant Black Hat could put everything back in its place with a mere snap of his fingers. The blood was trickier, however, as was the scorch mark that Flug’s gun had left on the wall.  Everything got cleaned up, however, and it was as if nothing ever happened. The city took notice of the deceased hero on the steps of the city hall almost immediately; apparently someone had recorded Black Hat throwing him on the ground with their phone and sent it to the local news station. No one was concerned. People hardly came to the manor, knowing what was inside.

            “Good news, everyone!” Black Hat said before they began the day’s recording. “Sales are back up.”

            “Does that mean no more robbing banks?” Demencia asked.

            “Don’t be stupid,” Black Hat said with a roll of his eyes. He looked around his office, looking for the device Flug had promised him this morning. It was nearly two in the afternoon, and Black Hat hadn’t even seen the scientist that day. He sighed irritably and crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently.

            “Where is Flug?”

            Demencia looked at 5.0.5, who shrugged and shook his head. Cam bot made a similar motion, waving its many attachments in a pattern that clearly said, “I have no idea.” Demencia looked at Black Hat and shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t think I even saw him leave his room this morning.”

            “Well then stop standing around and go fetch him!” Black Hat barked, jabbing his finger at the door. Demencia and 5.0.5 scrambled out of the room, leaving Black Hat alone with the camera. He paced the floor angrily, footfalls heavier than usual. Of _course_ Flug was late. He was hardly ever on time for anything, be they deadlines or commercial recordings, due to his perfectionist nature. When he wasn’t late, he was tired and unproductive, sluggish even. Black Hat sometimes wondered why he kept the scientist around. Surely there was someone just as capable, someone more professional.

            Black Hat’s thoughts screeched to a halt when Demencia crashed through the door, waving a piece of paper around and screeching his name. 5.0.5 soon followed, ears flat against his head and whimpering, his flower drooping lower than Black Hat had ever seen it. He winced from the high pitch of Demencia’s voice.

            “What, what is it?!” he snapped.

            “Flug, they took Flug!” Demencia’s voice was still ear-piercingly loud as she shoved the paper in Black Hat’s face.

            Black Hat snatched the paper from her. Dark letters in loopy handwriting covered the dark brown paper. With a start, Black Hat realized it was a ripped-off portion of Flug’s bag. The beginnings of an eyehole were at the top, and it smelled of burning chemicals and the sharp tang of metal sparks. Unease began to blossom in Black Hat’s stomach, turning it to ice. His eyes flitted over the words that covered the page, and the ice only grew colder.

            Only two words were written.

_He’s gone._

            “Where did you find this?” Black Hat asked.

            “In his room,” Demencia said. “Five was checking the lab to see if he was there, and I went to his room, and it was messy like usual, but it was even messier this time and there was shit everywhere like there was a fight or something and then I found this attached to the wall with a knife.” She spoke frantically, her words running together. 5.0.5 came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling her head. Demencia patted his blue fur, her face scrunched up in anxiety.

            The ice in Black Hat turned to a burning flare of anger. “Go see if anyone broke in.” He didn’t even wait for either of them to respond before marching past him and up the stairs, feeling his anger grow with every step. How _dare_ someone come into _his_ home, kidnap one of _his_ henchmen? His scientist, no less. Flug’s door flew open before Black Hat got even remotely close to it, yanked by an invisible force. The demon stomped inside, his rage continuing to grow. Demencia was right about there being a fight. Flug’s things were scattered everywhere—some of them were even broken. But that wasn’t what Black Hat was here for.

            His eyes scanned the room until he found it. Black Hat plucked the dagger from the floor. Its color scheme was familiar—bronze and black, with white leather wrapped around the hilt. They were the same colors the hero that Flug had killed a few days ago wore. Upon closer inspection, Black Hat found a tiny note attached to the dagger, written in the same hand that had been on Flug’s bag.

_Come and get him._


	2. Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is much longer than the first chapter...MUCH. Be prepared.

            Villains were not creatures of empathy. Usually when one of them died, they brushed it off, thinking of it as less competition. They often killed because they could, or even because they enjoyed it. Not many evildoers took the feelings of the hero’s loved ones into consideration. They smirked at grieving citizens and rolled their eyes at funerals. They spoke candidly of the dead, seeing no reason why something so normal and simple as no longer existing should erase a person’s flaws.

            Mess with a villain’s allies, however, and you would be lucky to see sunlight for more than ten minutes.

            This explained why Black Hat reacted so furiously to Flug being taken. Further investigation of Flug’s room had revealed that someone had circled a location on the map of the city that hung on the scientist’s walls in angry red marker, their stroke so heavy that it had ripped through the paper and stained the walls. Demencia, who had the most knowledge of the city, had pinpointed the location as one of the factories in an abandoned industrial region. Black Hat almost snorted at how cliché the whole situation was.

            It was decided that they would go when it was dark, hoping for the element of surprise. Black Hat wandered around the corridors, put off by the silence. He could usually hear Flug working in the lab, 5.0.5 moving around the house as he cleaned, and Demencia playing her music during the day. Today, however, was quiet. 5.0.5 was curled up in front of the couch in the living room, face in his paws, refusing to move. Demencia was up in her room, presumably sharpening some of her weapons for later. And Flug, well—Flug wasn’t there.

            The scientist’s absence bothered Black Hat more than he thought it would. Every time he walked past the lab door, he strained to hear Flug whistling or humming as he worked. Whenever he sat in his office chair, he half expected Flug to come bursting through the door, arms full of blueprints, babbling away about some new idea. As he passed the kitchen, he glanced in to see if Flug was there, pouring himself yet another cup of coffee. But of course, Flug was nowhere to be seen. Black Hat found himself wondering what—if anything—was happening to him. Perhaps he was simply tied to a chair in the dark. Maybe he was being questioned. Maybe he was being tortured. Maybe he was—

            Black Hat shoved that thought to the very back of his mind and locked it away, refusing to even acknowledge it. That wouldn’t happen. Flug was too smart to let that happen. If they didn’t get there first, he would find a way to outsmart his captors and escape. Or, if he had a weapon on him, he’d find a way to access it, destroy everyone who had dared to lay a hand on him, and wait patiently for rescue. Black Hat sighed and scrubbed his face with the heels of his palms. He’d never been so worried.

            He’d never been so _afraid._

Finally, the sky began to darken. Black Hat was in the passenger seat of the red and black car he owned while Demencia drove. Normally, Flug would be the one driving, with Demencia and 5.0.5 in the back, but 5.0.5 was alone this time. The trunk was packed full of weapons. A tense silence filled the vehicle. Demencia’s shoulders were tense, her fingers drumming ceaselessly on the steering wheel. 5.0.5 was laying down. Black Hat was gazing out the window, mouth set in a scowl.

            “He’s gotta be okay, right?” Demencia said after a long while.

            “He’s a smart man, I’m sure he’s fine,” Black Hat said.

            “So you don’t think he’s—you know…”

            Black Hat slowly turned his head, glaring at Demencia so intensely that his pupils glowed faintly red. “Shut up.”

            Demencia swallowed and nodded, not saying another word. 5.0.5 whined and hid his face in his paws. Black Hat watched the streets crawl by. After what seemed like an eternity, they were there. Demencia stopped the car and got out, wasting no time. She was already slipping knives into unconventional places when Black Hat got to the trunk. He grabbed the ray gun Flug had used to kill the hero (whose name continued to escape him). Satisfied, he closed the trunk. Demencia had managed to coax the bear out of the car. The hollow shell of a once booming factory loomed over them.

            “Over here, the lock’s broken,” Demencia said after a few minutes of investigation. 5.0.5 pushed an enormous metal door open, the rust on the hinges creating a horrible, metallic screeching noise. Black Hat winced.

            “Well, there goes the element of surprise,” he grumbled.

            “Uh, Black Hat?” Demencia asked. “What’s the plan, exactly.”

            Black Hat looked down at her, coldness in his eyes. “We find Flug, kill whoever brought him here, and get out.” Demencia nodded and shouldered her mace, a determined glint in her eyes.

            The factory was dark—pitch black even. Black Hat lead the way inside, keeping an eye out for any movement. Metal creaked around them as the building settled and shifted, causing 5.0.5 to whimper and shiver. Demencia rubbed his arm, demonstrating a rare soothing gesture. Black Hat held the ray gun at the ready, his finger on the trigger. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the faintest noise. It had sounded like a door closing. He followed the noise, and soon a square of light cutting through the darkness became visible.

            The light was coming from a window in a heavy metal door. Black Hat peered inside and saw Flug, sitting on the floor, hands and ankles tightly bound. Part of his bag was torn, exposing part of the left side of his face, and he was in his pajamas—a pair of pants with planes on them and a black t-shirt. Leave it to Flug to be kidnapped in something so nerdy. Black Hat pushed the door open and rushed inside, Demencia on his heels.

            “Flug!” he called, and the scientist’s gaze snapped up to his friends bursting through the door.

            “ _Jefecito!”_ Flug said, a smile on his face and relief in his voice. His eyes darted to the space over Demencia’s shoulder, and his face paled. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Black Hat followed his gaze. A woman in bronze and black had appeared suddenly behind Demencia, a sword raised over her head.

            Demencia spun around just as the blade was descending, blocking the blow with the handle of her mace. The two women struggled against each other, but Demencia managed to overpower her attacker. With a shove, she sent the sword-bearing woman stumbling backwards, the tip of her weapon dragging on the ground. 5.0.5 growled and swatted at her, claws unsheathed, but she ducked underneath his paw, tumbling forward through Demencia’s legs and towards Flug. Black Hat aimed the gun at her just as she reached the scientist, yanking him up by the back of his shirt and holding her blade to his throat. Black Hat’s finger twitched away from the trigger; he couldn’t risk hitting both of them.

            “You actually came.” The woman’s voice was cold. She scanned the three villains, eyes narrowed, and brought the blade closer to Flug’s throat. He swallowed, a bead of sweat dripping down from his temple.

            “Who are you and why do you have my scientist?” Black Hat snarled. His teeth were bared, saliva beginning to froth at the corners of his mouth. It dripped onto the floor, making sizzling noises as it burned into the concrete.

            “I have him because he killed someone I deeply care about,” the woman said. “And, unless you play your cards right, I’m going to return the favor.”

            5.0.5 snarled, and Demencia growled along with him. Black Hat narrowed his eyes. “You still haven’t answered my first question.”

            “My name is Broadsword.”

            Black Hat raised an eyebrow, and Broadsword sighed.

            “Look, I didn’t pick the name, alright?” She shook her head. “But that doesn’t matter. What _matters_ is that this one killed Aegis.”

            “Oh, so _that_ was his name,” Black Hat said. “I would have asked, but he was such a sniveling idiot that I figured he would have forgotten it.” His mouth stretched into a mocking grin. “Besides, by the time I got curious, he was already dead.”

            “Watch your words, Black Hat,” Broadsword growled. She shifted her blade, and Flug whimpered as the sword gave his throat the smallest of cuts, a single drop of blood rolling down his throat. Black Hat’s expression quickly went blank again.

            “What do you want?”

            Broadsword smiled. “Burn your manor to the ground. Turn yourself in for all the crimes you’ve committed, and serve your time in jail where you belong.”

            “Sir, no!” Flug said. “You can’t, it’s too—”

            “ _Shut it!”_ Broadsword barked. She yanked the bag off of Flug’s head, pulling the goggles with it, and tossed it over her shoulder. Flug glared at her, hatred in his eyes.

            “Put that back!” Demencia demanded, taking a step forward. Black Hat blocked her from going any further with his arm.

            “Well?” The hero ignored Demencia completely, her gaze still fixed on Black Hat. She held Flug steady, despite his struggling, and drove the blade deeper. Flug gasped and shut his eyes tightly, clearly attempting not to cry out in pain. More blood dripped down his neck, getting lost in the black of his shirt.

            Black Hat’s mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of the situation. She was clearly losing patience, not to mention hungry for revenge, but she had to have a weakness. All heroes did. Black Hat swallowed before saying, “You really think I would give up my whole manor, my entire _business,_ for one man?” He scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh.”

            “Then why do you look so nervous?”

            _Shit._

“How do you even know Flug is the one responsible?” Black Hat said, trying distraction. “It could have been any one of us.”

            “I’ve seen victims of yours before,” Broadsword said. “They’re always in much worse shape. Messier. There’s hardly anything left when _she_ does it, and I highly doubt a bear attack would leave someone with a perfectly round section of their body missing. That leaves just one contender.”

            This wasn’t working. This wasn’t working at all. Black Hat looked at the scene in front of him. Broadsword was glaring triumphantly, chin lifted. Flug was glaring at him, but very clearly sweating. 5.0.5 was bristling with nervous energy, and even Demencia seemed uneasy.

            He had no choice.

            Black Hat looked at Flug as he stepped forward, staring right into his eyes. He tried to communicate with nothing but his eyes, and Flug seemed to get the message. His glare decreased in intensity, but it was still there, almost daring his employer to do anything stupid. Black Hat lowered his head to hide his smirk and let out a heavy sigh. He looked back up at Broadsword from just under the brim of his hat, doing his best to look defeated.

            “You’ve left me with no choice.” He dropped his gun to the ground, where it landed with a clatter. “Let Flug go, and I’ll do as you ask.”

            Broadsword narrowed her eyes. She made no move to let Flug go. “Break out before your time is up, and I’ll hunt every one of your friends down and kill them myself.”

            “Understood.”

            Broadsword stared at him for another moment before nodding in satisfaction. She removed her sword from Flug’s throat and used it to cut the ropes binding his ankles. Flug sighed in relief and rolled his ankles, wincing as they cracked. He walked towards Black Hat once he was done, keeping eye contact the entire time. After a barely noticeable nod from the demon, Flug spun on his heel and kicked Broadsword in the back of her knees, causing her to lose balance. Black Hat surged forward and ripped the rope off of Flug’s hands, picking up the ray gun in the process.

            “Demencia?” Black Hat said, the barrel pointed at Broadsword’s head. “I feel as though a match between this pitiful excuse for a hero and myself would be unfair, considering my weapon. Would you like to do the honors of killing her?” His head turned all the way around, a wicked grin on his face.

            Demencia nodded, sporting an equally evil smile. Black Hat stepped to the side as she ran forward with a battle cry, eyes crazed and mace over her head. Broadsword parried her blow just in time. The clang of metal on metal echoed in the room as the women battled, Demencia giggling all the while. Black Hat turned his attention back to Flug, who was currently wrapped up in the arms of 5.0.5. The bear’s tail was wagging so furiously that it made his entire body wiggle.

            “Let me see your neck,” Black Hat said. 5.0.5 reluctantly let go of Flug, and Black Hat observed the cut on his neck. It wasn’t too deep. It had even stopped bleeding, which was a relief.

            “ _Jefecito?”_ Flug said. Black Hat looked back up at his face and was met with a soft smile. “Thank you.” Black Hat returned the smile, a pleasant feeling in his stomach.

            Suddenly, 5.0.5 growled. Black Hat and Flug’s heads snapped over to see Broadsword glaring at them, panting, cuts littering her body. Demencia was in a heap on the floor, groaning. Without warning, Broadsword charged forward. She shoved Black Hat with the hilt of her sword, using all her strength. He was knocked back a few feet, landing with a grunt. He sat up in time to see a sword plunge through Flug’s stomach.

            _“Flug!”_

Black Hat’s enraged cry was drowned out by a deafening roar. 5.0.5 was on all fours, lips curled back, all his teeth exposed, his eyes filled with a fire that had never been there before. He knocked Broadsword to one side with a blow from his paw, chasing after her when she got up. Black Hat dashed over to Flug, who was on the floor.

            “ _J-jefe,”_ Flug gasped.

            “Fuck!” Black Hat cursed when he saw the gaping hole in Flug’s abdomen. The scientist was doing his best to stop the bleeding, pressing his hands to the wound, but it was failing.

            “Black Hat,” Flug said. “I—I shouldn’t have—this is my fault—”

            “Shut up, shut up!” Black Hat snapped. “You’re going to be fine, Flug, so stop wasting your energy blaming yourself and focus on _not dying!”_ A bloodcurdling screech echoed behind them, a telltale sign that Demencia had recovered. Metal clangs now joined the din, accompanied by angered shouts and the snarls of a bear.

            “I’m sorry.” Flug reached for Black Hat’s hand shakily, his grip slippery with blood. “Guess I’ve disappointed you in every way, h-huh?”

            “Damn it, Flug!” Black Hat shouted. “No, you aren’t a disappointment.”

            “Good…good to hear, _jefecito…”_ Flug’s grip loosened, and his eyes faded.

            “Flug?” Black Hat said, fear beginning to buzz in the back of his head. “Flug?! _FLUG!_ Don’t you _dare—_ don’t—you pitiful, worthless, useless—!” Black Hat’s voice failed him as he shook Flug violently with both hands, silently commanding him to stop it, to wake up, to _get back to work—_

Flug remained unresponsive.

            Black Hat stood up. He turned around slowly, eyes dead set on Broadsword, who had just taken a blow to the chest from Demencia’s mace. The telltale crack of snapping ribs rang through the air, and the hero gasped, breath gurgling. Black Hat smirked as he realized her lungs were slowly filling with blood. He moved for Demencia and 5.0.5 to move to the side as he passed them, and they scurried out of his way. Black Hat looked down disdainfully at Broadsword, on her knees, coughing as blood dribbled down her chin. She let out another cough as Black Hat reached down and grabbed her by the neck, holding her at arm’s length in the air.

            The hero struggled, clawing at the hand around her throat. She let out a strangled scream as Black Hat’s claws lengthened, digging deep into her flesh. Blood soon dripped down his hand, staining the sleeves of his suit, dripping onto the floor. Broadsword looked down at him, gasping, eyes glazed over with fear. He grinned and tightened his grip, drawing his claws deeper. Her scream was quieter this time, more like a gurgle than anything. Within a few minutes, she stopped struggling, her entire body going limp. Black Hat waited until he could no longer feel her veins pulsating around his fingers. With a sickening sucking sound, he retracted his claws, and the hero fell.

            Black Hat flicked the blood off of his hands, scowling in disgust. He stared at Broadsword’s corpse in satisfaction, eyes narrowed in hatred. He finally looked away when he heard whimpering behind him. 5.0.5 was desperately prodding at Flug with his nose, whining louder and louder each time he didn’t respond. It was unclear if his muzzle was stained with the hero’s blood or Flug’s. Demencia looked on, both hands over her mouth, eyes filled with tears. When Black Hat stood next to her, she looked up at him and let out a sob. She wrapped her arms tightly around Black Hat, burying her face in his side and shaking.

            For once, he didn’t shove her off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't truly joined a fandom until I've killed at least one character


End file.
